Workshop needs new bus after accident
Kempton Express readers are urged to open their hearts
NAAS FERREIRA, executive director of the East Rand Protective Workshop, writes:
The article, ‘Tragedy strikes home‘ (October 22), refers.
We received a lot of sympathy and support from Kempton Express readers. The families and friends of the two deceased were touched by the readers’ response.
It was a tough few weeks for all of us. But life goes on and so the plight of our beneficiaries (residents).
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Imagine yourself at your age, 36, 44, 50 or even 58, but with the intellectual abilities of a four or five-year-old child. Your speech is limited and you talk about yourself in the third person. Imagine that your physical appearance and behaviour will inform people that you are intellectually disabled and shun you in public. Imagine throwing a tantrum in public as an adult. Imagine that you cannot read and write; or that you have little hand-eye coordination and that you have no sense of responsibility or accountability.
You don’t know why you do certain things or think about the consequences. Imagine that you have no prospects of ever finding a job or own a car or house or raise a family.
Imagine that you cannot follow or participate in a rational discussion. Imagine that the only directions you understand are: DO THIS! DON’T DO THAT!
These are the people that come to the East Rand Protective Workshop to find unconditional love and to enjoy life with their friends that are on the same mental and emotional level. That is why our mission/vision statements are:
“Mentoring intellectual disabled adults to do the almost impossible.” And for them the almost impossible is to do to others what you want them to do to you.
To achieve this almost impossible accomplishment, we need to get our beneficiaries to the workshop, and with one bus written off, 15 people won’t be able to come to the workshop. We desperately need another bus.
We would like to appeal to all the readers to support us with donations for a new bus. For more information, call Naas Ferreira on 011-979-3623.
